In Academy City, where superhuman abilities are scientific reality, Touma Kamijou is trying to reconstruct a life for himself, but that’s easier said than done with a girl by his side with the arcane knowledge of 103,000 grimoires rattling around in her brain…

Now seemingly inextricably caught up in a world where magic is reality, Kamijou learns that a certain shrine maiden is being held captive in one of Academy City’s cram schools. Can Touma ally himself with a sorcerer who has on more than one occasion tried to do him in? The only thing we knows for sure is that he really does have rotten luck…

Brrr, it’s cold outside! With all this snow on the the ground, an island vacation sure sounds nice right now. It’s a good thing there is a new volume of Barakamon to look forward to and warm our spirits in February.

Kawafuji, the only friend of handsome young calligrapher Seishuu Handa, has come to visit the island…!! However, the lack of cell phone signal and any useful landmarks is preventing the two of them from meeting up!! Also, why has Kousuke Kanzaki, who beat out Seishuu for an award (in the “Second-Place Calligraphy Incident”), come along for the ride…? There’s a storm brewing in the third volume of this sophisticated (?), heartwarming island comedy!!

Do you think you have what it takes to become one of Night Raid’s elite members? We’ll find out soon! We’re less than a week away from the publication of an exciting new series, Akame ga Kill! Look for it online and in stores on January 20th!

About the story: Teenage country bumpkin Tatsumi dreams of earning enough money for his impoverished village by working in the Capital–but his short-lived plans go awry when he’s robbed by a buxom beauty upon arrival! Penniless, Tatsumi is taken in by the lovely Lady Aria, but just when his Capital dreams seem in reach yet again, Lady Aria’s mansion is besieged by Night Raid–a team of ruthless assassins who targets high-ranking members of the upper class! As Tatsumi is quick to learn, appearances can be deceiving in the Capital, and this team of assassins just might be…the good guys?!

Wow! What an exciting year 2014 was! We hope you’ll join us in making 2015 even better and brighter. To start things off, let’s celebrate with some new licenses! How’s that sound?

RUST BLASTER (manga) by Yana Toboso

Millennium Academy is–a school where elite vampires are trained to maintain balance in a world where humans and vampires, who possess far greater physical strength than their human counterparts, coexist. And commuting to this school is Aldred, the most distinctly un-vampire-like vampire to be found in the entire institution. But when Al encounters Kei, a human transfer student to the school, their destinies become intertwined, and the fate of their world as they know it comes to lie in their hands!

PUELLA MAGI HOMURA TAMURA (manga) by Magica Quartet

The life of a magical girl isn’t all fighting witches and collecting grief seeds. When they aren’t kicking butt, Homura Akemi and her friends face the same trials as normal high school girls! In this four-panel comedy, glimpse a sillier side of the girls from the bestselling Puella Magi Madoka Magica series!

PUELLA MAGI MADOKA MAGICA: HOMURA’S REVENGE (manga) by Magica Quartet

If Madoka Kaname had known of the tragic transformation that would mark the end of her magical-girl journey, how would her story have unfolded? In this telling of her story, Madoka remembers the outcomes of her previous timelines–but so does Kyubey. Even with the knowledge of her previous lives, can Madoka outmaneuver Kyubey and avoid her fate?

BLACK BULLET (light novel and manga) by Shiden Kanzaki, Saki Ukai

The future–where a terrible battle against a parasitic virus called “Gastrea” has been fought, and lost. Humanity is cornered, and lives in despair. Rentaro and Enju face constant danger in their work as a team anti-Gastrea specialists known as “Civil Security.” If the daily fight against oblivion weren’t enough, they’ll soon face a threat that could destroy all of Tokyo…

DURARARA!! (light novel) by Ryohgo Narita, Suzuhito Yasuda

The Ikebukuro district in Tokyo is full of interesting people. A boy longing for the extraordinary. A hotheaded punk. An airheaded pseudo stalker. An information broker who works for kicks. An underground doctor who specializes in truly desperate patients. A high school student infatuated with a monster. And a headless rider on a pitch-black motorcycle. Their story may not be a heartwarming one, but as it turns out, even weirdos like these sometimes fall in love.

STRIKE THE BLOOD (light novel and manga) by Gakuto Mikumo, Manyako

High school student Kojo Akatsuki may not seem like anything special, but there is a rumor going around that he is the Fourth Progenitor—a powerful vampire thought only to exist in legend. But if that legend were true, it could have devastating consequences for the Itogamijima special zone for demons. Enter Yukina Hirameki who’s sworn duty is to watch over Koj…or kill him if necessary.

Boot-up your NerveGear—new Sword Art light novel is coming! Whether you’re the tank or your group’s DPS fighter, this is a property you should be following, and Sword Art Online Progressive makes a great entry point!

About the story: Yuuki Asuna was a top student who spent her days at cram school and preparing for her high school entrance exams–but that was before she borrowed her brother’s virtual reality game system and wound up trapped in Sword Art Online with ten thousand other frightened players. As time passes, Asuna fears what will become of her life outside the fantasy realm–the failure she might seem in the eyes of her peers and parents. Unwilling to wait on the sidelines for more experienced gamers to beat the game, Asuna employs her study habits to learn the mechanics of game–and swordplay. Her swiftness impresses Kirito, a pro gamer who invites Asuna to join the best players on the front lines. Is Asuna ready to swap class rankings for player rankings and join Kirito?

Look for Sword Art Online: Progressive online and in stores on January 20th!

Hey! Listen! We have a secret. Did you know that every month you could be winning free books from Yen Press on Goodreads? Well now you do. You know who else has a secret? One of your classmates—only this secret isn’t as innocent or rewarding….

About the story: “There are three murderers hiding in your midst.” These are the ominous words given to the six survivors of a tragic bus accident, followed by an ultimatum: Within one week, the murderers must anguish over their crimes and find some way to answer for them, or the evidence of their sins will be given to the police. But when every person has a secret, who can you trust…?

About the story: Middle schoolers Kanata Tanaka and Kazuki Yoshikawa are mature beyond their years, perfect model students admired from afar by classmates and teachers alike. But when school’s out, these two childhood friends can let loose as average fourteen-year-olds, fresh in the throes of puberty, adolescence…and the persistent, bittersweet pangs of first love.

About the story: An imperial capital in an era of splendor and romanticism…

Orphaned in an earthquake, Sorath is taken in by Baron Kamichika, the lord of “Blood Blossom Manor.” There, he pledges eternal friendship with Garan, the Baron’s heir, and Kiyora, Garan’s fiancée. But their friendship turns grisly by events none of them could foresee. The tender feelings each secretly harbors, the machinations of Baron Kamichika, and his strange and seductive female companion, and a fateful encounter with a young girl with bizarre powers…all draw them to the Walpurgis Night and the nightmare’s climax!

About the story: In Orario, fearless adventurers band together in search of fame and fortune within the monstrous underground labyrinth known as Dungeon.

But while riches and renown are incentive enough for most, Bell Cranel, would-be hero extraordinaire, has bigger plans.

He wants to pick up girls.

Is it wrong to face the perils of Dungeon alone, in a single-member guild blessed by a failed goddess? Maybe. Is it wrong to dream of playing hero to hapless maidens in Dungeon? Maybe not. After one misguided adventure, Bell quickly discovers that anything can happen in the labyrinth–even chance encounters with beautiful women. The only problem? He’s the one who winds up the damsel in distress.

Look for Is It Wrong to Try and Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? in stores on December 16th! Read an excerpt here.

It’s Halloween week! So let’s celebrate with a giveaway, and not just any giveaway, but the graphic novel adaptation of The Wolf Gift by master storyteller Anne Rice! Artist Ashley Marie Witter returns to illustration this sexy, supernatural urban fantasy. If you are unfamiliar with Witter’s work, you can see it in Interview with the Vampire: Claudia’s Story.

About the story: When reporter Reuben Golding arrives at a secluded mansion at the request of the home’s mysterious female owner, he doesn’t expect this assignment will lead to him being inexplicably attacked-bitten-by a beast shadowed in darkness. This single event prompts a terrifying but seductive transformation that both opens Reuben’s eyes to what was previously unseen and unknown, and leads to even more questions. Why was he given this wolf gift? Is its nature good or evil? And is he now all alone in this mysterious new world?